First Person: The Killer Within

 
Until the lizard, I’d never killed anything bigger than an insect, maybe a snail by accidental step.
I was on my way to Chapman University in Orange when it happened. I was pursuing a master’s degree in creative writing, leaving my father to watch my two young daughters.
Distracted by thoughts of deadlines and homework, I was a little anxious. So when I opened our front gate and something flew out, I screamed.
There, settled in my path, was the largest wild lizard I’d e